Jurassic Park

"Now THIS is what I call a Dino Crisis."

Some pinball machines are infected with way too many bells, whistles, and gadgets to create an interesting pinball experience. Others are more like arcade video games disguised as pinball machines. But Jurassic Park manages to combine a video theme with a classic flipper-happy experience to create something worth throwing a quarter into.

ARTWORK: 7/10
In order to decide whether or not to play an arcade pinball machine, the art on the backdrop/score panel comes heavily into play. Also, the playing field itself can say a lot about how the game is. Jurassic Park uses a stock movie-poster like image to draw the player in, and clear representations of targets and goals to keep the player hooked. The score is presented so you can see it in a quick enough glance while the ball is trapped or occupied to not lose focus on the game.
PLAYABILITY: 8/10 (but varies depending on the exact machine used)
The flippers respond at most arcades. Usually, if your local arcade takes good care of its machines and keeps them in working order, this won't be an issue.
As for the game itself, very rarely will the ball go racing between the flippers toward the outhole like a cat after a mouse. If it comes in the vicinity of the flippers, 99 times out of 100 you're going to have a chance to put the ball back into play. The ramps are steep enough to discourage half-hearted shots, but not so steep that you have to slam the ball up the ramp to get it on target.
SOUND: 8/10
Good movie-themed music combined with sounds that do a good job of letting you know what's happening without having to take your eye off the ball to look at a video screen are a big help in this category. Once you figure out what sound corresponds to what event, you'll be free to concentrate on timing your flips.
CHALLENGE: 7/10
''Challenge'' is here defined as how likely it is that you can keep a machine going for hours on one quarter. Since most arcades set the initial replay score at 190 million, I'll use it as my baseline. The targets are set up to provide enough points that you can achieve the replay score without relying exclusively on the multiball jackpot, but not so much so that you'll get a free game every time by that method. You're going to have to be pretty good at pinball to replay this one consistently, but not so good that you're a deaf, dumb, and blind kid named Tommy.
OVERALL: 8/10
Overall, the quality of a pinball machine is directly proportional to how much money you end up blowing as you throw quarters into it. Last year, I was at a beach-side arcade playing this one and I spent about $6 in the space of an hour and a half. It's not quite the number of plays I'd give to an old classic like High Speed, but it's well above average for one machine. Insert coin. Press Start.

That's the news and I am out of here.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/20/00, Updated 04/20/00